Washington Times' History Of Anti-Gay Attacks

The incoming editor of The Washington Times, Ed Kelley, recently suggested he was not familiar with the newspaper's long history of anti-gay attacks, saying the only controversy he had heard on the issue was "a change in whether or not the term either civil unions or gay marriage or something, whether or not there were going to be quotes used around the term or not." In fact, The Washington Times has long history of extreme rhetoric and smears against the LGBT community.

Incoming Wash. Times Editor Unaware Of Paper's Anti-Gay History

Kelley Only Aware Of Contention Over "Whether Or Not There Were Going To Be Quotes Used Around" "Civil Unions Or Gay Marriage." From an interview with Media Matters' Joe Strupp:

KELLEY: The only thing I know about any kind of a controversy there was I guess a change in whether or not the term either civil unions or gay marriage or something, whether or not there were going to be quotes used around the term or not. That's really the only thing I know [Media Matters, 6/27/11[1]]

The Washington Times: A Relentless Crusader Against DADT Repeal...

Wash. Times Fearmongers That Christian Soldiers Could Be "Booted From The Military" If DADT Is Repealed. In a September 16, 2010, editorial, The Washington Times claimed that members of the military "who oppose the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) agenda [would be] no longer welcome" if the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy were to be repealed. [The Washington Times, 9/16/10[2], via Media Matters]

Wash. Times Op-Ed: DADT Repeal Would Mean "We Dress Up Our Military Like Poochie Poodle In A Pink Sweater." In a September 24, 2010, Washington Times column, Matt Barber, Liberty Counsel director of cultural affairs, wrote of the possibility of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal: "While in the interest of promoting sanctimonious notions of 'tolerance' and 'diversity,' we dress up our military like Poochie poodle in a pink sweater, Iranian, North Korean and Chinese pit bulls bark at the gate." [The Washington Times, 9/24/10[3], via Media Matters]

Washington Times Op-Ed: "Homosexual Left" Tried To "Impose A Radical Social Experiment On The American Military" With Attempt To Repeal DADT. In an October 7, 2010, Washington Times op-ed, Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, accused the "Liberals of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) left" of attempting to "impose a radical social experiment on the American military" in calling for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal. [The Washington Times, 10/7/10[4], via Media Matters]

Wash. Times Op-Ed: DADT Repeal Would Force "GI Joe" To Have "Gay Joe For A Bunky." In a November 12, 2010, op-ed, Washington Times columnist Robert Knight claimed that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal would mean that the military would "be used as a battering ram against American society's resistance to mandated acceptance of homosexuality" and concluded, "Watch this week for more leaks and talking heads concluding that the 'science is settled,' that GI Joe really does want Gay Joe for a bunky." [The Washington Times, 11/12/10[5], via Media Matters]

Wash. Times: DADT Repeal Will Lead To "Privileged Homosexual Protected Class With Ramifications That Will Reach Beyond Military Service." In a January 2 editorial, The Washington Times baselessly fearmongered about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal by claiming that "[h]aving openly homosexual troops will be devastating to morale in the armed forces, and in practice the new policy's implementation will lead to the establishment of a privileged homosexual protected class with ramifications that will reach beyond military service." [The Washington Times, 1/2/11[7], via Media Matters]

...A Vocal Opponent Of Gay Marriage...

Wash. Times Op-Ed: Gay Marriage "Is A Fantasy Cooked Up In Hell." In an August 11, 2010, op-ed, Knight wrote that "[p]retending that a brideless or groomless union is a marriage is a fantasy cooked up in hell." Knight further compared homosexuality to incest, polygamy, and bestiality, writing:

Marriage as the union of a man and a woman predates all other human institutions. It was not created to annoy homosexuals. Marriage laws exclude all but one man and one unrelated woman. Yet I have not seen any media report the demise of the "incest ban," or the "polygamy ban" or the "bestiality ban." [The Washington Times, 8/11/10[8], via Media Matters]

Wash. Times Claimed Obama's DOJ DOMA Decision Was Part Of A "Strategy To Force The Radical Homosexual Agenda On America." A February 23 Washington Times editorial claimed that the Obama administration's decision to not defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was "the next step of President Obama's strategy to force the radical homosexual agenda on America against the will of the people and Congress." The editorial later claimed: "DOMA was passed by elected representatives of the people and signed into law by President Clinton; the public has the right for their laws to be defended by the executive branch. This administration refuses." [The Washington Times, 2/23/11[9], via Media Matters]

Wash. Times' Kuhner Claimed Obama DOJ's DOMA Decision Was "A Severe Violation Of Its Constitutional Responsibilities." In a February 24 column, Kuhner claimed that the Justice Department's decision not to defend DOMA was "severe violation of its constitutional responsibilities" and was also "a blatant surrender to the homosexual lobby." [The Washington Times, 2/24/11[9], via Media Matters]

For the facts about the Department of Justice's decision regarding DOMA, SEE HERE[9].

Knight Lamented GOP Didn't Use "Suppressed Facts" to "Cripple The Homosexual Juggernaut." In a December 20, 2010, op-ed, Knight lamented that during debate over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal, Republican senators had failed to use "suppressed facts" to "cripple the homosexual juggernaut." Knight further claimed the decision would "turn the U.S. military into a gay mecca with zero tolerance for chaplains and anyone else who disagrees" and concluded that "[a] more conservative Congress should restore the law." [The Washington Times, 12/20/10[11], via Media Matters]

Knight Turned To Anti-Gay Hate Group For Unhinged Response To DOMA Decision. In a February 25 column, Knight claimed the Justice Department's decision was part of Obama's "ongoing effort to homosexualize America." He called the decision an "impeachable offense" and promoted the work of Mass Resistance, a group that the Southern Poverty Law Center named an "Active U.S. Hate Group" in 2008. [The Washington Times, 2/25/11[12], via Media Matters]

Knight Used Anti-Bullying Legislation To Attack Muslims And Gays. In a March 18 column, Knight attacked anti-bullying legislation, claiming "the federal government is going to whip local schools into line using its vast fiscal powers" and calling the legislation "a politically correct form of bullying." Knight also used the column to launch anti-gay attacks on the Obama administration Safe Schools Czar Kevin Jennings. [The Washington Times, 3/20/11[13], via Media Matters]

Knight Wrote Of DADT Repeal: "What If You Don't Respect Your (Male) Commander For Having Sex With Other Men Or Wearing A Dress And Pumps While On Leave?" In an April 5 column headlined, "Marching in lockstep with homosexual agenda," Knight fearmongered over the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and wrote that GOP congressmen asked, during a hearing, "questions that revealed the military is clueless about how much this will hurt readiness, retention, morale and recruitment." Knight further wrote, "What if you don't respect your (male) commander for having sex with other men or wearing a dress and pumps while on leave?" [The Washington Times, 4/5/11[14], via Media Matters]

The Times' Launched An Anti-Gay War On Kevin Jennings

Wash. Times Repeatedly Smeared Department Of Education Official Kevin Jennings As A NAMBLA Supporter Who "Encourag[ed]" "Statutory Rape."The Washington Times published numerous editorials containing anti-gay rhetoric, falsehoods, and distortions to attack Jennings, including accusations of "promoting homosexuality in schools" and falsely suggesting he "encouraged" the "statutory rape" of a "15-year-old high school sophomore." [Media Matters, 8/9/10[15]]